Reviewer: Amy Lignor
Title: The Boyfriend of the Month Club
Author: Maria Geraci
Publisher: Berkley Trade
ISBN-13: 9780425236505
Release Date: December 2010
Genre/Sub-genre: Women's Fiction
Year/Setting: Present day, Daytona Beach, FL
Overall Rating: 4.0
Sexual Content Rating: Subtle/Sensual
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: None/Mild
Violent Content Rating: None/Negligible
Maria's Website/Blog: www.mariageraci.com
Dear Readers:
I love stories like this; it’s so refreshing after the constant deluge of vampires, murder, and mayhem, to receive a story that is fast-paced, well-written, and a ton o’ fun.
Our main character is Grace. Grace lives in Daytona, Florida and is the manager of her father’s business, Florida Charlie’s, which is a tourist shop that’s been just off Highway 95 for years and years. This is one of those places that’s announced by a series of billboards posted every five miles or so letting you know that you’re almost to the best place on Earth; a place where tons of families would stop for a soda, something to eat, a one-of-a-kind t-shirt, and other more strange items like mermaid-watching kits. Florida Charlie’s is almost nostalgic, and before the world went Disney it was a top spot for families to visit every summer.
Now Grace thinks the store is a bit silly; she knows that times have changed and that vacations are much more high-brow than her dad’s falling-down business. What she does like, however, is Gator Claus – an eight-foot plastic alligator that stands inside the shop. He seems to be her very best friend; in fact, whenever she has an issue or a complaint, she talks to Gator to see what he thinks.
Grace also is surrounded by her best friends including the store’s assistant manager, Penny; Ellen Ames, a local English teacher; and, Sarah, Grace’s best friend since high school. Every week they get together in the store where they hold their book club meeting. Lately, however, what they’ve all noticed is that the book club meeting has been shying away from talking about actual literature and turning to the subject of men.
This all begins when Grace lands a date with a stunning man named Brandon Farrell, Daytona Beach’s most eligible bachelor. What she quickly discovers, when the date plans are messed up and she finds herself in a bar called the Wobbly Duck, is that the old line that you can’t judge a book by its’ cover is absolutely correct. Not only that, but during this one awful date she also meets up with a smiling man named Dr. Joe who will end up playing a major part in her future. Through some very strange and amusing circumstances that have everything to do with hideous dates gone wrong, the women decide to turn their book club into a boyfriend club where they will review and rate their dates. Yes, they sincerely want to find the elusive Mr. Darcy (don’t we all?), and each man that enters their lives is rated against very popular literary characters to see how they score. What the women aren’t prepared for is how unbelievably huge the group becomes, and the absolutely hilarious outcome.
There are story lines filled with lost love, secret love, heartbreak, family relationships, and so much more, that will keep you reading through the night. As I said before, this is one book that is seriously a whole lot o’ fun!
Until next time,
Amy
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